St. Francois County Ambulance District

09/16/2026

Ask ten people in St. Francois County what 988 is. You will get a lot of blank looks.

It is the Su***de and Crisis Lifeline, and it works the same way 911 does. Three digits, any phone, someone trained answers. You can call or text it for yourself or for somebody you are worried about.

You do not have to be in immediate danger to use it.

During Su***de Prevention Awareness Month, this is the most useful thing we can hand you. Put 988 in your phone tonight, next to 911.

09/11/2026

What an incredible show of support today!

As we observed Patriot Day and the 25th anniversary of September 11, several local businesses and organizations spoiled our crews.

Marler’s Towing delivered a fruit tray.
Belgrade State Bank treated our crews to some wonderful BBQ.
Open Heart Assembly provided some incredible food from Catfish Kettle.

The food was greatly appreciated and thoroughly enjoyed. The photos say it all.

To Marler’s Towing, Belgrade Bank, Open Heart Assembly, and everyone who sent a message or shared a kind word, thank you. We are grateful to serve a community that takes such good care of its first responders.

On this 25th anniversary, we remember every life lost on September 11, every family that carries that loss, and every person who stepped forward to help. We will always remember. We will never forget.

09/11/2026

The flag EMS educators Dustin Tate and Steven Dickey are holding is unlike any other American flag.

It is titled “Flag of Heroes,” and its red stripes are created from the names of the emergency services personnel who gave their lives while saving others during the attacks of September 11, 2001.

Look closely at its red stripes. They are formed by the names of the emergency services personnel who gave their lives while saving others during the terrorist attacks of September 11. Red traditionally represents hardiness and valor in the American flag. On this flag, that meaning becomes deeply personal. Every name represents courage, sacrifice, and a life that will never be forgotten.

In August 2016, Farmington motorcyclists David W. and Ann Taylor carried this flag to all three September 11 crash sites during “The Final Ride” as participants in America’s 9/11 Ride.

Today, it hangs inside our Education Center as a reminder of courage, service, and sacrifice. Its presence ensures that new generations of EMTs and first responders learn the names and remember the people behind them.

On this September 11, we honor every life lost and every family forever changed.

We will never forget.

09/11/2026

September 11, 2001. Twenty-five years today.

The people who died that morning were at their desks, in restaurants, in elevators, on planes, visiting the city, and on the stairs heading up. 2,977 of them. Some wore a uniform and chose to be there. Most did not. We hold them all the same.

And we remember the thousands of responders who have died since, from the air they breathed while trying to find the rest.

09/08/2026

Help us, help you! Think about this scenario: It is 2 a.m., it is raining, and your house number is painted on a mailbox that faces the wrong way.

That is the moment we find out whether your address is easy to find or a guessing game. In a county with this many gravel roads, long driveways, and mailboxes clustered out at the highway, it is a bigger problem than most people realize.

September is National Preparedness Month, so here is a ten-minute project for this week. Walk out to the road and look back at your house like you have never been there before. Can you read the numbers from a moving vehicle, in both directions, at night? If not, two fixes take care of it:

1. Put numbers on the house that are big enough to read from the road. Four inches tall at minimum, in a color that stands out against the siding.

2. Put reflective numbers on both sides of your mailbox, or on a post at the end of the driveway, so we can read them coming from either direction. About ten dollars at any hardware store.

The fastest response starts with the right driveway.

09/07/2026

The eight-hour workday was not a gift. Somebody had to ask for it.

Labor Day started in the early 1880s, when working 12-hour days, six days a week, was normal, and children were on factory floors instead of in classrooms. Workers organized, marched, and pushed for change. Oregon made Labor Day an official holiday in 1887, and it became a national holiday in 1894.

The things we take for granted now, like a weekend, a lunch break, safety rules on the job, and limits on child labor, all came out of that push.

So today is more than the unofficial end of summer. It is a thank you to every person who works hard for their family and their community.

Happy Labor Day, St. Francois County.

09/04/2026

Please join us in congratulating EMT Class 26-1!

Last night, we held graduation for our newest class of EMTs here at St. Francois County Ambulance District. This group put in the work from day one, and it showed. The dedication, the teamwork, and the heart they brought to this program made it an incredible class to be a part of.

We are so proud of every one of these individuals. This is not the end of their journey. It is just the beginning, and we cannot wait to see the clinicians they become.

Help us celebrate them. Leave a comment cheering them on, congratulate them on this huge accomplishment, and share this post so they can see how much this community is behind them.

Great work, Class 26-1. Always remember, "You Set The Tone."

09/04/2026

Here is the part of drowning that surprises people. It is quiet.

No splashing, no yelling, no waving arms. A child slips under while eight adults are within thirty feet, and every one of them assumed somebody else had eyes on the water. That is not negligence. That is how a crowded holiday works.

So assign it out loud. One adult, on the water, phone down, for a set stretch of time. Then hand it off to the next person by name. Say the words "you have the water now."

Life jackets on the little ones and on anybody who is not a confident swimmer, no matter how shallow it looks.

Enjoy the long weekend. Just make sure one person always has the job.

09/01/2026

09/01/2026

📊 𝗔𝘂𝗴𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 | 𝗦𝘁. 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗼𝗶𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝘆 𝗔𝗺𝗯𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘁

Another busy month in St. Francois County. In August, our teams answered 1,763 total responses, up from 1,712 in July.

Transfers returned to the top spot at 332, just ahead of 328 general medical calls.

A few notable shifts this month:

🧠 Behavioral health calls rose sharply, from 105 to 159
🚑 Falls climbed from 172 to 208
🫀 Heart problem calls increased from 96 to 125
🫁 Respiratory calls rose from 109 to 125
🚗 Vehicle accidents eased off, dropping from 84 to 66

Our Mobile Integrated Healthcare team logged 147 home visits, holding steady with July, continuing to help patients manage their care right at home.

Thank you to our medics, EMTs, and MIH staff for their dedication this month. We also want to thank our 911 dispatchers, local fire departments, law enforcement, and air ambulance services who partnered with us on so many of these calls. We could not serve this community without you.